Electrical Safety

CFOA have been working jointly with the Electrical Safety Council for some time. After an investigation by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service into the frequency of fires originating at the electrical intake position in (mostly) residential properties a proposal was put forward by the ESC.

They proposed to create warning labels and leaflets that warn householders not to store combustible materials close to the electrical intake equipment in their homes. The labels and leaflets are intended to be offered to householders during FRS home safety visits. The label should be fitted near to the householder’s electrical intake position and the householder given the accompanying leaflet.

The warning is particularly appropriate where the electrical intake equipment (service head, meter and/or consumer unit) is in a cupboard which is used to store items such as coats, cleaning materials and other items that may ignite easily. Fires in under-stair cupboards are particularly dangerous, as the means of escape from upstairs can be cut off.

The Electrical Safety Council is making the labels and leaflets available to FRS across the UK. If you would like to receive copies of the label and leaflet, they can be ordered, free of charge, from ESC in units of 1,000 per box by emailing: enquiries@esc.org.uk.

Furthermore, through an agreement with The Association of Meter Operators, these labels will also be available for use by meter operators, on a voluntary basis, when visiting homes to replace electricity meters. Meter operators may start to use the labels before the smart meter programme gets underway – from 2012 onwards – as the warning is not specifically related to smart metering.